Adventures of an Aviatrix, in which a pilot travels the skies and the treacherous career path of Canadian commercial aviation, gaining knowledge and experience without losing her step, her licence, or her sense of humour.

Saturday, April 02, 2005

Two Crew Operation

Below is an excerpt from an article by Jenny Beatty, in a Women in Aviation newsletter I received today. She's talking about her transition to the Saab 340 from small single-crew piston aircraft.

But the most dramatically different dynamic was my being second-in-command to the captain and pilot-in-command. The constant reinforcement of this subordinate position grated on one raised on egalitarian principles and without prior exposure to military-style hierarchies. Once I knew how to the fly the airplane, I thought I could simply do so, turning on those engine anti-ice switches when required. But some actions are never taken without the express knowledge and consent of the captain. He "owned" those switches, turned them on and off himself, or delegated and closely supervised my doing so.

Her attitude seems flat out weird to me. She had just completed training on the aircraft and was sitting next to someone who not only is her direct supervisor but has been flying the aircraft for years. And it rankles her to consult with that pilot in command before flipping switches? How can you get that far with no exposure to the chain of command. Didn't she even watch Star Trek? It's not like the captain was violating the Prime Directive: he just wanted to know about the anti-ice coming on.

1 comment:

You meet people like that everywhere. :( As soon as one's passed their driving test, they're ready to take on Michael Schumacher. Owned a labrador for 6 months? You're the expert in all things canine. Actual experience is for losers.